Peeing in your Wetsuit

It is said that there are two types of divers in the world: those who pee in their wetsuit and those who lie about it.  While this subject may sound a little gross, I want to take a few minutes to discuss the pros and cons of peeing in your wetsuit.

Being in the water does in fact trigger your need to pee.  Read all about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_diuresis

or here:
http://scuba.about.com/od/divemedicinesafety/p/Why-Does-Scuba-Diving-Make-You-Need-To-Pee-In-Your-Wetsuit.htm

Now, should we pee in our wetsuits or hold it until after the dive?

First of all, peeing anywhere usually feels really good.  That's usually enough for me and peeing underwater has a strange calming effect.  Especially since the ocean itself is making you pee through immersion diuresis, a forty minute dive can be agonizing and nearly impossible to endure if you try to hold it in.  Furthermore, the pee will warm your wetsuit.  One of the worst parts of diving cold water is the trickle of 54 degree down your spine as the wetsuit fills up with water initially.  If you can fill that wetsuit with warm, body temperature water then you never get that chill and can dive comfortably.

Peeing in your wetsuit isn't without risk.  The biggest downside is the smell.  The urine is trapped next to your skin for quite a while.  Your wetsuit is designed so that water does not flow through it between your body and the suit very much; water movement makes a diver cold.  As the urine degrades it causes odors that attach to the skin; the result is a stinky diver and a stinky wetsuit.  The smell can last for quite a while too and usually requires a shower to remove. As if the smell wasn't bad enough, all of your dive buddies know where the smell came from and my friends would never let me live something like that down.

Wetsuit stink is another big issue.  Simple rinsing is not enough to remove the stink.  A commercial cleaning agent is usually needed to truly detox the wetsuit.  Hawaiian Diving Adventures does carry wetsuit cleaner in small single use sizes and can get larger bottles at any time.  Of course harsh chemicals both in the urine and cleaners will degrade the suit much faster.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a pee'er.  I began my diving career peeing and have been unable and unwilling to stop.  But I don't worry about smelling bad: my solution is to not wear a wetsuit.  Fortunately, in the sunny climates of Hawaii, the water is warm enough year round to go without.  The urine is able to flush out of the legs of my shorts and fresh sea water can easily be introduced to flush it out.

Some of us are more civilized though.  Blade finds his own solution to having to pee in the water

Do you pee in your suit?  What are some of your comments and experiences on the subject?

The Rules of Scuba

As in many things, scuba has a very distinct and impossible to ignore set of rules.  Yet, everyday I find people who break these rules through simple misunderstanding or inexperience.  Unfortunately, breaking these rules has real and sometimes severe consequences.  I think it is time for a definitive list of the rules of scuba and why they shouldn't be broken.  So here we go:

1. NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!!!
Remember this one?  It is kind of a biggy and should have been beaten into you during your open water course.  But you may not remember why.
When we descend underwater, the weight of the water above us exerts pressure on us.  This pressure will compress any air space in or on our body.  An easy way to think of this is by imagining a balloon that is filled with air and tied shut on the surface.  Take this balloon underwater and it will shrink.  The air will still be in there, but the overall size of the balloon will be dramatically smaller.  The same thing happens in our bodies, this is why we must equalize our ears and mask since your head doesn't expand and contract like a balloon.  Now, as we go down the air space gets smaller, but as we come up the air expands back to its normal size.  We don't lose any air, it just occupies a smaller space.  When we breathe underwater our lungs are usually filled about to capacity every time we inhale.  If one were to hold his breath with full lungs and ascend even a few feet, the air in his lungs would expand.  Let it expand enough and it will literally pop your lungs like a balloon.

Popping your lungs is bad.  Therefore: NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!!!!

2. Diving Is All About Looking Good

I know what you are thinking, and no; this rule does not apply to how you look in a wet suit or how much money you spend on gear.  This rule is far more about behaving, and the girl in the picture is not following the rule with that mask on her forehead.  Make sure you have all of your gear in good working order, make sure you know how to use your gear, and please secure your hoses.  Also, use the conventional methods of arranging your gear.  In an emergency, I don't want to have to figure out how you tied yourself into your weight belt because you were too cool to just use the buckle properly.

More than your gear, it is also important to comport yourself well in the water.  Don't use your hands to swim, don't walk with fins on, don't bicycle kick in the water; move as little and as efficiently as possible and your air will last much longer.

DO NOT EVER PUT YOUR MASK ON YOUR FOREHEAD!!!

This is a great way to loose your mask.  When you are in the water a small wave or boat wake will take it off and down into the briny deep it goes.  Then you don't have a mask on to go get it.  Also, your hair is wet and the lenses are facing the sun causing the space inside to warm up and the moisture to condense on the lenses: fog.  No amount of defog can keep your forehead oven clear forever especially if you are diving in cold water.  A forehead mask is also a mark of an improperly trained diver.  Divemasters and instructors use many clues to assess their divers and you want them to know you are well trained and experienced enough to give you a long leash underwater.

3. Slow Down, Relax, and Have Fun

Sometimes people forget that it is supposed to be fun. There is lots to think about, how are the conditions? is my gear in good shape? who is that cutie on the boat? do I have enough air?  It is important to stop and look around to enjoy the beauty of diving.  Your air will last longer and you will see much more wildlife if you swim slowly and take the time to note the details.

4. Always Tip Your Divemaster

Do I need to say more?  These guys are very hard workers, lifting 35 pound tanks all day long.  Putting themselves at risk of DCS, AGE, etc. everyday.  And they don't get paid nearly enough for what they have to go through.  Make sure you take care of them. 15-25% of the price of your trip is usually customary, but leave more if they made you laugh or showed you something cool and unusual.

First Post!!!

                                        First Post!!!

Scuba diving is an amazing activity.  The feeling of weightlessness as we fly over truly alien and bizarre seascapes has captivated us here at Hawaiian Diving Adventures where this sport has become truly a passion.  Our true calling though, has not been just diving every day, but sharing our experiences with others.  This blog will do far more than just be a place for pictures and trip reports.  We will address some of the issues and concerns of modern scuba divers and ocean lovers.  But we will post amazing pictures as well.

The crew at +Hawaiian Diving Adventures has a combined experience of over 25 years as professional divers spanning most of the globe.  We will bring our knowledge and experience to help, entertain, and inspire all divers new and old alike.  

Of course we do go diving every day.  When you find yourself on Oahu call (808) 232-3193 and check us out Hawaiian Diving Adventures and Facebook